Russ VanDervoort of Waterford, at right, guides people on a tour, “Paths Through History,” along the original Champlain Canal on Sunday in Waterford.
J.S. CARRAS — THE RECORD

WATERFORD >> History enthusiasts from near and far took a step back into canal times this weekend.

With a little guidance from local historian Russ VanDervoort of the Waterford Canal and Towpath Society, 20 interested listeners walked the old trails along the Champlain Canal on Sunday morning.

The free event was held to complement the Waterford Harbor Farmers Market and to educate shoppers about the neighboring waterway.

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A Waterford native, VanDervoort has a lengthy family history on the canals, and a passion for telling it. He inherited a wealth of information from his ancestors, along with a sense of pride in the local leg of the canal system. VanDervoort even authored a book, “Canal Canaries and Other Tough Old Birds,” in 2010.

VanDervoort painted a picture of 300 mules tugging a multitude of boats along the now-quiet waters where kayakers come to relax.

Located at the intersection of both the Hudson and Mohawk Rivers, as well as the Erie and Champlain canals, Waterford has many paths to choose from when telling local history, but VanDervoort went a personal route, along the original 1823 Champlain Canal, where his family once lived on a houseboat.

The first stop was to look at the canal’s Side Cut Locks, the original gateway of the Champlain Canal. VanDervoort spoke of the lock tenders’ difficult duties, and the time-tested construction of the nearly 200-year-old structure. Though it’s no longer in use, the canalway is still full and intact, working as a spillway for Lock Two on the Erie Canal.

Back in the system’s heyday, a boat would travel through three lock chambers to get on the correct level.

“It would take about 18 minutes on a good day,” VanDervoort explained.

The tour continued on to the Weigh Lock Station, where boats would pay their toll based on weight. This section of the Champlain Canal that is still in its original condition, including a towpath where hikers and bikers now travel.

“Prior to the canal being built, this was just undeveloped land,” VanDervoort told the crowd. “A lot of things happened on the canal that they didn’t really build the canal for, but it turned out the canal was very successful in a number of ways.

“The Broad Street business district was huge in those days. They made a great living off the canals.”

But walkers also learned that firemen struggled with the canal bridges in emergency situations, an occupied cemetery was relocated, and St. Mary’s School was once tenement housing for canalers.

Two retired couples, traveling from Connecticut and Florida, went on VanDervoort’s tour in preparation for their first boat ride on the canal, beginning Monday morning.

“It’s been on our bucket list forever,” Mary Clow said. “We like doing things that are informative and historical.”

Others came to learn about their local history, like Jamie Roberts, a Waterford native whose father once worked as a lock tender on the Champlain Canal.

“This is just really nice,” Roberts said. “We’ve walked the path before, but it’s just nice to have somebody guide you.”

For those interested in learning more, another similar tour will be given in September, VanDervoort said.